Load handling equipment



y 1950 w. M. HUSTON 2,513,726

LOAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT Filed July 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wm41!.M

BY QZM W ATTORNEYS July 4, 1950 w. M. HUSTON LOAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1945 INVENTOR 4 1. Mum

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LQAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT INVENTOR BY W04,

ATTORNEYS July 4, 1950 w. M. HUSTON LOAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 5, 1945 lNVENTO R id/4W, ATTO NEY PatentedJuly 4, 1 950 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,513,726 LOAD HANbLINGEQUIPMENT William M. Huston, Lima, Ohio Application July 5, 1945, SerialNo. 603,379

12 Claims.

This invention relates to load handling equipment, such as cranes,shovels, drag-lines, etc., and more particularly to machines of thesetypes which are mounted on crawler treads and provided with drivemechanism for travelling on the ground under their own power.

In load handling equipment of the types mentioned above, the rotatingbase of the machine, which carries the power plant, boom, operatingmachinery and the like, is customarily mounted on the crawler truck forswing motion. Such mounting includes a, vertical center pin and asurrounding circular track, the track being arranged at the top of thecrawler truck and the rotating base being provided with main and hookrollers which engage, respectively, the upper and lower surfaces of thecircular track. The main rollers transmit the weight of the machine andthe load handled thereby to the circular track and thus to the crawlertruck, and the hook rollers prevent tipping of the rotating base withrespect to the truck. In machines of large size, such as contemplatedaccording to the present invention, the loads transmitted through themain and hook rollers to the circular track of the crawler truck arevery heavy.

The present invention has as its primary object a novel arrangement andmounting for main and hook rollers, which arrangement is such as toeffectively handle and distribute the heavy loads encountered in largesize load handling machines.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the employment of main andhook rollers, with main rollers grouped in a plurality of pairs and hookrollers also grouped in pairs, and with the two rollers of each pair ofeach type mounted by an equalizer arm or lever, whereby to effectequalized distribution of loads.

In considering another feature of the invention, it is first mentionedthat the load handling boom or the like of the machine is customarilypivoted to the front edge of the rotating base. Therefore, the heaviestloads are transmitted to the circular track through the main rollers inthe region of the front edge of the rotating base, the loads to becarried through the hook rollers at the front edge being relativelysmall. On the other hand, when the boom is handling a heavy load, verysubstantial forces are required to be transmitted through the hookrollers to the circular track in the region offset to the rear of thecenter of swing motion, 1. e., on the rearward portion of th circulartrack. With these loading factors in mind, the invention contemplatesthe employment of four pairs of main rollers, two of which are arrangedin the region ahead of the center of swing motion and two in the regionto the rear of the center of swing motion; whereas only three pairs ofhook rollers are provided, one of which is located forwardly of thecenter of swing motion and the other two to the rear of the center ofswing motion, adjacent to but below the rear pairs of main rollers. Byvirtue of this general pattern of main and hook rollers, all of theloads and forces are effectively carried, equalized and distributed,even in machines of very large size.

The invention further provides means for adjustment for initialinstallation and for take-up of wear, cooperating with the roller mountsin a manner to equalize the adjustment as between rollers of the pairs.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a pair of mainrollers and a pair of hook rollers are mounted in common on the rotatingbase of the machine, a common mounting bracket being provided for thispurpose. This common mounting of pairs of main and hook rollersfacilitates location of main and hook rollers in a closely. clusteredgroup, with main rollers and hook rollers in superimposed relation,above and below the circular track.

Beyond the foregoing, the invention contemplates a novel mounting for apair of rollers, particularly the front pair of hook rollers abovereferred to, by means of a bracket connected with a support which alsoserves to carry mechanism adapted to perform a. working function inassociation with a fairlead for dragline attachment.

How the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained will beclear from the following description referring to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention andin which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the crawler truck androtating base of a load handling machine equipped with main and hookrollers in accordance with the invention, the power plant, machinery,cab, etc., which are ordinarily carried by the rotating base, beingomitted;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the underside ofthe rotating base, showing the arrangement of main and hook rollersmounted on the base;

Figure 4 is a. front elevational view on a further enlarged scale of thfront pair of hook rollers and the mounting thereof on the base,

this view being taken looking toward the right in Figure 3, as indicatedby the line l4, but with the parts shown right side up, as in Figure lFigure 5 is a view of one of the rear groups of main and hook rollerswhich are mounted in common, the view being taken looking in thedirection of the line 5-5 on Figure 3, but with the parts right side up;and

Figure, 6 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shownin Figure5, the View being taken as indicated by the section line 56 on Figure'5.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the machine is provided with a pairof crawler treads diagrammatically indicated at 'Il, these treads beingmounted by means of a crawler truck 8 having an upwardly extendingcylindrical portion 9 at the upper edge of which is the circular track[0 (see also Figure 6), concentric with the upright shaft H and definingthe axis of swing motion of the rotating base l2 on the truck. A truckdrive transmission, and controls therefor, are carried downwardly from:the rotating base to the truck structure, as iszknown in this art,butthese features need not be considered herein since they form no partof-thepresent invention-per se.

Before describing the-arrangement of main and hook rollers which areassociated with the circular track Ill, brief reference is made to someof the general features of the rotating base and structures which arecarried thereby. -At the front edgeof the rotating-base (towardthe'lef-t as viewed in Figures 1 and2) :the base .is provided with pairsof apertured ears cit -l3 to which the foot end of the load handlingboomld isadapted to be pivoted as indicatedatlzi in Figure 1. As seen inFigure 2, :the rotating base also is provided with pockets .Ifi-lfiarranged to receive the lower forward ends of the front gantry legs,these legs being secured in thepockets by means of pins such as shown atl Ill-Al. 1

Toward the reariend of the rotating base one or more counter-weights l3are-mounted, and in this region .the rotating base is-adapted also tosupporttheengine (not shown). 'Transversely spaced upright machineryframes 119-!5 are carried by the rotating base, the .machiner framesservingto mount various unitsof theloperating machinery such as hoistdrums,:.gearing,-.brakes, clutches, anclithe like. a V V ,At the front"edge 10f the .rotating base (below the line ofpivoting of theboom.i14),.a fair-lead bracket provided including 'a pair of apertured ears:29 projecting forwardly of the main structure of the rotatingiibase,and .a horizontal interbracing web. 2 I, disposed substantially in theplane of :the bottom of the rotating base (see also Figure 4) Asisbroughtfoutmore fully herebelow, the web .2! not only serves itsfunction of bracing of the fair-lead bracket, but in addition serves as.a supportingpad'to which a mounting bracket for a pair of hook rollers'is bolted.

With respect to-the general structure of the'rotating baseits'elf,.itnis-pointed out that the central portion of the rotating :baseadvantageously comprises a, unitary casting of width slightly less thanthe distance between the crawler treads l-1 (see- Figure 2) this maincastingiof therotating base being extended from the forward edge(adjacent the region of mounting the boom) rearwardly a distancesufficient to :provide for support of counterweight l8. .Asishown inFigure 2, platform-like lateral extensions 2.22Z-are secured to thecentral base casting; and a cab structure, the outline of whichappearsat 23in Figure 1, is built up on the rotating base vas a 4 whole,to enclose the machinery, power plant, etc.

By reference particularly to Figures 3, 5 and 6, it will be seen thatthe central base casting is provided with various bracing webs and alsowith pads, one of which appears at 2% in Figure 6 on which the bracketsfor the main and hook rollers are mounted. Such pads are provided forthe mounting brackets for each of several groups of main and hookrollers designated in Figure 3 by brackets A, B, C, D and E. As is seenfrom the drawings, these several groups of rollers are clustered aroundthe pin aperture 25 in the base casting which serves to receive thecenter pin i I definingthe axis of swing motion of the rotating baseonthe truck. Group A includes a pair of equalized hook rollers 26.Groups B and C each include a pair of main rollers Ell-2'5 and 2828,respectively. Group D includes a pair of main rollers 2929 and a pair ofhook rollers 3ll3ll; Group E similarly including bothmain and hookrollers 3 l.3i and 3232, respectively.

The forward central pair of hook rollers 26 (group A) are shown on.anenlarged scale in Figure 4 and from thisifigure itswill beseen thatthe rollers 26 are mounted toward opposite ends of an equalizerbeami-"Bfi, which beamiis-pivo-ted intermediate its vends'alzz yia.pivotiilto thelower end of a mounting bracket 3'5. 'Braclsetsfihas abase surface which.abutsla pa-dformed in part on the horizontal web 2|.of'jthe fair-lead bracket-and in part on the adjacentstructureof :thebase casting, the bracket beingsecured by means 'of bolts indicated at3B.

The main rollers 21 .of group .B .(see Figures 1 and 3) are also:Inounted ,on :an equalizer 3? which is pivoted.at..3;8..in-bearing:blocks 39-39, the, latter being bolted to the base casting as shown at40. The mounting ofmainrollers 23 in group Ciseffectedinthesamernanneras just described for rollers,:2 L

Roller groups DandiE are counterparts and only one of them needtherefore :be described, for which purpose reference is .;made toFigures '5 and 6 illustratingithetrollers ingroup 1D and the mountingthereof. In this .group a mounting bracket ll has a base surface.abuttingzthe pad 24 on the basecasting,,.the bracket being secured bymeans of bolts 3422. Toward the lower end :of bracket 41 anequalizer 43serves to ,carry the pair ofhook rollers 130, thesehook rollersriding onthe underface of the circular track Ill, as clearly appears in Figure 6.Bracket 4! also has abearing aperture M adapted to cooperate wit-honeend of the mountingpivot 45 for the equalizer 46, which serves to carrythevpair of -,main rollers 29. As shown, the.-equalizer 4.6 (Fig.6) forthispair of main-rollers 29 is provided withzpairs of apertured p oj gears 46w between which each .main roller 29 is mounted iby-a pin 41(asiseeninFig. 5). 'From Figure ditxwill talsorbe seen the equalizermounting .ipin 4'5ii's'supported notionly in the'bearing aperture '44:of the bracket M, but also by a bearingblockdB secur-ed to:thebas.e .bymeans of bolts 49 (see also Eigure'B). Thus the equalizer pin 45 for the'IOH'EIS'IZQ is effectively supported at both ends. With the arrangementjust describedjt willbe seen that the bracket 4| serves to supportYbothmain and hook rollers "in common, and'thisrfeature facilitates thelocation of the pairsof main .andfhookiroll'ers includedin each one of.thegroups D and E in close association with each other, therebeing ahoo-krollerlocated substantially directly .below each :of the mainrollers 29 and 3:1, V

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the equalizer armfor each pair of hook rollers (in groups A, D and E) is mounted on apivot or fulcrum which is adjustable in a manner to effect raising orlowering of the axis of the equalizer fulcrum. This feature is employedto compensate for the wear on the rollers and/or on the circular track,as well as for initial setting of the rollers. The manner in which thisis accomplished will be clear from the following description referringto Figure 6.

As above mentioned, the pair of hook rollers 30-30 are mounted on anequalizer 43, the central portion of which is of open box construction,with the lower end of the supporting bracket 4| projecting downwardlyinto the box opening. The equalizer mounting pin has end portions 5! and5| which are received in apertures formed in the side walls of thecentral box portion of the equalizer. The portions 5!) and 5!, althoughof different diameters, are co-axial, so that the equalizer may pivotabout the pivot axis 50--5|. The intermediate portion 52 of the fulcrumpin (which is received in the bearing aperture at the lower end of thebracket 4 I) is eccentric with respect to the axis of portions 5l35l.Rotation of the fulcrum pin, therefore, raises or lowers the axis of theportions BEL-5|, and this rotative adjustment is facilitated by theprovision of a flattened outer end portion 53 on the equalizer pivot, sothat a tool or wrench may readily be applied, to effect the adjustment.The portion 5! of the pin is also provided with a series ofdiametrically extending bores 54 angularly offset from each other aboutthe axis of the pin and cooperating with a pair of diametrically alignedapertures formed in an adjacent portion 53a of the equalizer, to receivea removable securing pin 55, whereby any adjusted setting of the fulcrumpin may be fixed.

An eccentric adjusting pin of this type is employed for mounting theequalizer of each pair of hook rollers 26, 30 and 32.

Turning again to Figure 3, it will be seen that the main rollers 21, 28,29 and 3! are grouped in four pairs which are symmetrically arrangedabout the axis of swing motion, there being a pair located toward thefront edge of the rotating base at each side of the longitudinalvertical midplane thereof. Similarly two of the pairs (29 and 31) aredisposed to the rear of the center of swing motion, one being offset alittle to one side and the other a little to the other side of saidlongitudinal vertical mid-plane. This disposition of the main rollerseffectively distributes and transmits the main loads from the rotatinbase to the circular track.

It will also be observed that each of the roller groups D and E not onlyincorporates a pair of main rollers but further includes a pair of hookrollers so mounted and positioned as to form a compact group or cluster.The employment of two pairs of hook rollers to the rear of the axis ofswing motion adequately distributes and transmits to the circular trackmany of the hook roller forces, such for instance as those encounteredupon the lifting of a heavy load, with accompanying tendency to tilt therotating base forwardly.

The forward group of hook rollers (group A) is centrally arranged at theforward edge of the rotating base, and here also it will be observedthat each of the hook rollers 26 underlies a main roller of the twogroups mounted in this region.

I claim:

1. In a load handling machine having a crawler truck with a circulartrack and a rotating base mounted for swing motion on said track, aroller supporting bracket secured to the rotating base, main and hookrollers adapted to ride on said track and receiving support in commonfrom said bracket, an equalizer arm pivotallymounted on the bracketandcarrying a pair of rollers of like kind, and adjustment meansoperatively interposed between the equalizer pivot and the supportingbracket and providing for vertical adjustment of the hook rollersrelative to the main rollers.

' 2. In a load handling machine having a crawler truck with a circulartrack and a rotating base adapted to carry a boom at the front edgethereof, the base being mounted for swing motion on said truck, rollermechanism mounted on the rotating base and comprising two rollerequalizers adjacent the front edge of the base, each equalizer carryinga pair of main rollers adapted to ride on the track, which pairs arepositioned close to but at opposite sides of the longitudinal verticalmidplane of the rotating base, hook roller means mounted adjacent thefront edge of the rotating base and centered with respect to saidlongitudinal vertical midplane, and opposed pairs of main and hookrollers mounted on the rotating base and disposed to the rear of theaxis of swing motion substantially diametrically opposite the firstmentioned pairs of main rollers.

3. A construction in accordance with claim 2 in which the main and hookrollers to the rear of the axis of swing motion are arranged in groupssymmetrically disposed with relation to the longitudinal verticalmidplane of the machine, the group at each side comprising a pair ofequalized main rollers and a pair of equalized hook rollers.

4. A construction in accordance with claim 2 in which the main and hookrollers to the rear of the axis of swing motion are arranged in groupssymmetrically disposed with relation to the longitudinal verticalmidplane of the machine, the group at each side comprising a pair ofequalized main rollers and a pair of equalized hook rollers, togetherwith a bracket secured to the rotating base and serving as a mountcommonboth to main and hook rollers of one of said groups.

5. In a load handling machine having a crawler truck with a circulartrack and a rotating base mounted for swing motion on said track, aroller supporting bracket secured to the rotating base and projectingdownwardly therefrom, main and hook rollers supported in common by saidbracket, there being a hook roller mounting pin supported in a lowerportion of the bracket and a main roller mounting pin journalled at oneend in an upper portion of the bracket, together with bearing meansindependent of said bracket for mounting the other end of the mainroller pin on the rotating base.

6. In a load handling machine having a rotating base and a circulartrack on which said base is mounted for swing motion, paired rollersmounted on said base and operatively associated with said track,equalizer means operatively interposed between the rotating base and therollers of a pair, and means associated with the equalizer means andproviding for vertical roller adjustment of both rollers of a pairthrough the intermediation of said equalizer means.

7. In a load handling machine having a rotating base and a circulartrack on which said base is mounted for swing motion, paired rollersmounted on said base and operatively associated with said track,equalizer means operatively interposed between the rotating base and therollers of a; pairj and means operatively r interp osedibee' tween therotating base and-:the equalizen means and" providing for vertical-1adjustment; of said equalizer-means.

8. Ina load handlingmachinehavingra..crawler truck'with a circulartrack; aerotating-tbaseastruce ture havinga rollersupporting:brackettozwhicli two equalizer. arms arepivctallynonnected,azpair of main rollers being. mounted: on. one. equalizer arm and apair. of. hook; rollers being: mounted on the other equalizer arm, therebeing aimain roller' substantially directly superimposed over eachhookroller,

9:. Inav loadihandling. machine .havinga crawler truck .with 1a;circular track and a rotating base mounted for, swing; motion on said:track, .mainand hook. rollers mounted; on, the rotating; baseand.adapted toride on..said;track, a. roller supporting bracketsecuredtor the rotating base, an equalizer: arm pivotally; mounted on thebracket and: carrying apair of rollers of like kind, and roller:adjustment"; means associated With the bracketzand operative to efiectrelative vertical adjustmentasbetween main and hook rollers supported;imcommonzby said bracket.

10. Aiconstruction according to claiml in which thepivotal mounting. ofthe equalizer arm comprises a. rotationally adjustable pin, ,a portionof the pin being journaled'iinthe equalizer-arm;.and another portion,eccentric with respect: to the axis of the first mentioned. portion;-beingv journaled in the bracket, and releasable means for-securing thepin in different positionszof rotational adjustment.-

ll'; In aload handling machine having a crawler truck: With 'acirculartrack anda rotating-base being mounted for swing movement-on said truck;bracket projecting forwardly of the front edge of the 'rotatingbasecomprisingapair of apertured ears and a horizontal interbracing webinterconnecting the ears; a roller supporting bracket connected withsaid'web, and a. pair of hookarollers mountedron the bracketin aposition toiri'desomthexcircular trackof'the truck;

12;.In1 as. load handling machine having a crawler; trucktwith acircular track. andra rotate ingbaseadapted to carrya boom atthe'frontedge thereof, the basesbeing mountedfor swing movementionzsaid.truok;..r.oller. mechanism mounted OnLthe: rotating base.andi'comprising two roller equalizers adjacent? the: front edge. ofthebase, each: equalizer; carrying. a pair of main rollers adapted? torideonthe track, which pairs are positionedclose to but atoppositesides-of the longitudinal midplane of; the rotating base, hookroller mounting. meansad'jacent the front edge of themachineicenterediwith respect to said 10ngitudinal verticalzmidplane,and a pair: of. hook rollers mounted; on said mounting means, each hook:roller. being disposed substantially beneath amain roller;

WILLIAM M. HUSTON.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are. of record. in the file.of. this. patent:

UNITED I STATES PATENTS 1 Number Name Date 518;901' Sherman Apr. 24,1894 1,043,826- Harris Nov. .12, 1912 1',289427' Ferris Dec. 3.1, 19181386,191 Marshall Mar. 11, 1924' 1',891',995 Marcy Dec. 27, 19321,929,397 Davidson Oct. 3, 1933 2,139,960 Kauffman Dec. 13, 19382,144,760 Harnischfeger Jan. 24, 1939 2,264,231' Backer et a1 Nov. 25,1941' 2,366,558 Rauch Jan. 2, 1945 2,408,378 Davenport 'et al Oct.1,1946.

